SHARE Atlanta Memorial Celebration 2004
Attended by over 150 people
Program, pictures, and written litany..
Be sure to scroll down the page...

SHARE Atlanta Memorial 2004 Slide Presentation -click on hearts
It takes several minutes to download. I am going to make it quicker this weekend. So, if you do not want to wait for it now...return next week.

Pictures taken by Leon McGinnis and Jennifer Greer. If anyone has a picture that they would like to add either scan it in or bring it to me!

"The love stays...forever in our hearts.”

“You have become
A part of me
That I cannot erase
What I carry now
Is there ...
Forever”
Hannaford

A Small Boy...
by John Magliola
A 2nd Helping of
Chicken Soup for the Soul,
pg. 226

Read by Todd Smith
In memory of Amelia Claire Smith

"A small boy
Looked at a star
And began to weep.
And
The boy said
You are so far away
I will never be able
To touch you

And
The star answered
Boy
If I were not already
In your heart
You would not be able
To see me."

Welcome

SHARE Atlanta welcomes each of you. We hope that this special service, in memory of all of our babies, brings you hope, peace and continued healing. As we share together we know that the love we feel for our children will be forever in our hearts.

“His Candle”
by Julie Branch
In memory of Justin Paul Branch

Read by Leah Perry
In memory of Dorian Rose Perry

"I light his candle
to acknowledge his life.
And I say his name
and that I miss him.
I wonder if it's celebration enough
for what he means to me.

..So I light his candle
with peace, joy, sadness and love
Content with the knowledge...
that he is with me always
because he is in my heart."

Lighting of Memorial Candle
In loving memory of all the precious children whose
short lives touched the hearts of their parents and friends.

Braxton’s and Kyle’s mothers, Jennifer and Pam, became friends while working on the 15th anniversary quilt project, and their families have become entwined in each others lives. This deep and abiding friendship is just one of the many gifts from their children in Heaven.

Braxton and Kyle - a brief slide presentation of their participation and a few other pictures put together by Jennifer Greer ...

No Heartbeat
by Roger Deane
In memory of Russell Joseph Deane

Read by Karen Verner
In memory of Jonathan William Verner
Pam Renner
In memory of Allison Angela and The Renner Babies

Nothing else need be said
We cannot find the heartbeat
I am afraid your son is dead

Two words that changed our lives forever
Nothing will be the same
Two words that brought us closer together
We hope we won't go insane

Our child has died before his birth
People have nothing to say
To us it does not matter
We love him anyway
Now we go on with our lives
Strangers ask me everyday
How many children do you have
I don't quite know what to say

I tell them I have a son
Who died before he was born
He was truly an inspiration
Now we only can mourn

Don't be so sad they say
You are still so very young
It was meant to be, they say
You can always have another one

How stupid you are in your world
No understanding for my pain
My child was alive and we loved him
Nothing will ever be the same

Now we know we aren't alone
Two words have affected so many
We all love our children
Even when our arms are empty

We cannot find the heartbeat
We cannot find the rhythm
Our child has died and left us
We will hold him again in heaven

Rachael, 11, and Robert, 9, are Russell’s younger siblings.

"The Touch of An Angel"
Valerie Scholovich
In memory of Megan Elizabeth and Kathryn Ann Scholovich

"May all who stand before you bask in the warmth of your knowing face
As they share a special moment of peace and love
With precious little ones that time has not left behind
And forget for the while sad spirits and heavy hearts
But instead feel the rustle of your wings and hear the whispers of the babies
So soft ... so near ... like feathers falling from the sky
Letting your warmth surround them in a wave of newfound hope
As gentle as the breeze ... as sure as the sunrise."

Roses of Honor ~ In memory of all of our babies

Brian and Paula Guy
In memory of Devin Tyler Guy

The white roses represent the innocence of our special babies and the innocence we have lost. They are the raw, new grief and the nearness of Heaven as we take the initial steps down grief's path. The lavender roses represent the serenity we all hope to find, and the peace that healing can bring. Their delicate, silver hue reminds us of "the silver lining" of our children's lives - the love, the joy, and the bittersweet memories of a too-brief life and its eternal imprint on each of our hearts. Jennifer Greer

Stitch by stitch, piece by piece
Gathered together in your mother's womb
Created by the loving hands of God...

I can just hear the conversation now between God and His angels…Holding you gently up to the light He asks, "The blue or the brown for the eyes? The red or the black for the hair?"

Some of the angels scoff and whisper amongst themselves. "Can you believe the time He spends on the ones no one will ever see?"

God's shakes His head. "That's not true. His mother and father will see him every night in their dreams. They will imagine his first day of school, his prom date, his children and grandchildren. It matters to them."

He steps away from you and looks with caring eyes to make sure all the parts of you are perfect - not just for the baby you, but for the toddler and teen yous, the parent and grandparent yous. One of the angels rolls his eyes and says, "That model isn't meant to last that long! It doesn't matter. No one will EVER see him like that!"

God smiles patiently at His angel and asks, "Would one of Monet's paintings not be art if some tragedy prevented the world from seeing it? Would Mother Teresa not be here with us if the world had not witnessed her sacrifices? Not being able to see something doesn't mean it isn't real. I would think you'd know that."

The angels look comprehending and a little sheepish as He holds you up to the light again and says, "So, freckles or not?"

Stitch by stitch, piece by piece
Gathered together in your mother's womb
Created by the loving hands of God.

At first the tears fell like a relentless storm as the thunder crashed in my soul
I fought day after day to make it through the rain to once again become whole
Each second a battle within me as I survived only from one heartbeat to the next
The thought of living the rest of my life without you seemed impossible to me at best
At times I merely existed, a shell of the person I was before you were gone

Months and months went by and the storm became more of a slow and steady rain
My heart ached for you every waking moment and with each breath I took
My mind constantly filled with thoughts of what you would be doing now
I longed for the joy of hearing you laugh and seeing you smile for the first time
I still could not comprehend why our time together seemed but just a moment

The months turned into a year and the rain had become just a light sprinkle
The clouds had begun to lift and the sun slowly peeked through
Shining at times just enough to make me able to laugh again
Inside I still missed you each day, but I smiled more and cried less
as my journey carried me one step at a time, closer to peace and happiness

One year has now become over three and the rainbow has come out after the rain
It’s colors are bright and beautiful just like the colors you brought to my life
From the tears has bloomed a garden of friends I would never have known without you
I have found an inner strength I didn’t even know existed until you came along
Your brief presence in my life has given me more than I ever dreamed possible

I know that you are always with me, a part of me, just as I am a part of you
When I tell others about you now, I know they can see you there in my eyes
Any tears shed now are happy ones knowing that someday we’ll be reunited in paradise
My angel, I thank God each day for giving me the gift of being your Mother
Having you helped make me the person I am today, because of you I am forever changed.

Over 100 names were called and each person received a candle memento. Our candle mementos bring to memory SHARE Atlanta’s first candle lighting service in 1985.

Litany Program - written originally by Diane Campbell and modified for today by Marcia McGinnis - both SHARE Atlanta Mothers.

Ceremony during today’s Litany

The vessel placed before us symbolizes our hearts. When we conceived and when we lost our babies our hearts were flooded with emotions. Emotions of joy, happiness and wonderful dreams when we conceived, then emotions of grief, anger and extreme loss when our sweet baby died.

The water inside symbolizes the tears we each have cried. Some alone and some on the shoulders of our loved ones and friends. Our shared tears have become one tear for the many parents who suffer similar losses each day. The tears we shed gradually lead us to wisdom, strength, compassion and endurance.

One of God’s creations, the rose with its thorns and lovely colors and fragrance, is a symbol of beauty and pain. Today our rose petals symbolize the sweetness of our babies. The white petals are our babies so soft and pure who are here with us today in our hearts. The pink petals are the love we have for our babies and the yellow rose petals are for the growing peace that we wish to find as we heal.

During the litany, as you come to receive your angel memento, let’s join together in sharing the path toward peace as we place some rose petals in our vessel by the SHARE Atlanta Memorial Candle knowing that our special babies will be ..
...forever in our hearts..

Written Litany for 2004 ~ click on hearts

“Cosmic Mirror”
from The Peace-Filled Journey played by Amon Sherriff

Our memorial candle; a vessel of water, symbolizing our hearts, flooded with emotion; and roses, symbolizing the sweetness of our babies, the pain of their loss and the hope for healing and the friendships within SHARE Atlanta.

Roary and LaWanda Lee
In memory of Victoria Elise and her four angel siblings

Without intending
We came together
Unknowing that
In a short period
Our lives would blend
To giving
Part of ourselves
To each other.

Now we leave
No longer able to
Remove the impact
Thus experienced.
You have become
A part of me
That I cannot erase...

What I carry now
Is there
Forever.

Balloon Release and Bubbles

30 balloons were released by 30 parents, grandparents, godmothers, siblings....

Please join Roary and LaWanda by blowing bubbles as our balloons are released.

“Shadow of the Crow”
by Amon Sherriff

The boys and some of our families releasing the balloons.

We wish you hope, peace, and healing.

..our babies will be forever in our hearts...

“Thank yous” We thank Maureen David, Rick Edwards, and Arlington Memorial Park. A special thank you to Amon, my friend, who joined us today. He played throughout most of our program. His instruments included the bamboo flute, vibraphone, gong and chimes. The spirit of the music brought much peace and love to our program.

We thank all of our SHARE Atlanta volunteers who work year round to fulfill our mission, and those members who participated today. Together, we continue our outreach and support to those who experienced a pregnancy or newborn loss. Marcia McGinnis, President and Co-founder of SHARE Atlanta

Before or after the service: SHARE Atlanta volunteers are here for you if you wish support.